The subject matter set forth herein relates generally to cable assemblies that communicate data between a sensor and a system that processes the data.
There is a general market demand in the electrical and/or optical technology industries that use cable assemblies to reduce at least one of the size, weight, and/or cost of the cable assemblies. In some industries, such as the medical device industry, the cable assemblies are configured to transmit data between a sensor and a system that processes the data. The sensor may be handheld and/or one that is sized for insertion into a patient's body.
For example, an ultrasound system uses a cable assembly to interconnect an ultrasound device (or ultrasound probe) to a control system. High-end medical ultrasound imaging utilizes tens and hundreds of piezo-electric transducer elements to achieve a quality image that can be helpful for diagnosing a condition of the patient and/or assessing the condition of the patient. The transducer elements require individual pathways or conductors to the control system. Conventional ultrasound cable assemblies may bundle the conductors in a concentric configuration with the conductors being wrapped around one axis of the cable assembly. In order to maintain a practical size of the cable assembly and not to impose excessive stress on the sonographer, the conductors are small coaxial conductors, which may be referred to as micro-coaxial conductors. Examples of such micro-coaxial conductors include 42 AWG coaxial conductors or smaller.
Although these micro-coaxial conductors are sufficient for performing their intended functions, some challenges may still exist. For instance, it may be desirable to have cable assemblies that weigh less or are easier to move than the above cable assemblies. Tests or experiments may require positioning a video sensor on an animal or object. It is generally desirable to reduce any effect that the weight or strain of the cable assembly has on the animal or object. In addition to this, it can be difficult to fit numerous signal lines, such as 64, 128, or 256 separate micro-coaxial conductors, into a cable assembly while keeping the cable assembly small enough so that the cable assembly has a practical size and flexibility for the user. It can also be costly to produce the micro-coaxial conductors (or the cable assemblies that include such conductors) and terminate them to the sensor.